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Climate change: EU emissions surpass pre-pandemic levels

Climate change: EU emissions surpass pre-pandemic levels

Firefighters battle the wildfire from a bridge in the Plumas National Forest in California.

Greenhouse gas emissions from economic activities in the European Union returned to levels slightly higher than before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the last quarter of 2021, the European Union’s statistics office, Eurostat, reported on Monday.

These figures are coming as the EU tries to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels in light of Moscow’s invasion Ukraine. The bloc is also trying to adhere to its climate pledges. Increase the proportion of renewables in our energy mix

What did the data reveal?

All 27 EU member countries saw an increase year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2021. Estonia was the most affected (+28%), followed Bulgaria (+27%) and Malta ( (+23%). The Eurostat data was clear.

GermanyEmissions rose by 5% during the same period.

Individual household consumption accounted for 22% of emissions in the last quarter of 2021. Both manufacturing and electricity production contributed 21%, while agriculture contributed 12%. Transportation and logistics was responsible 11% of the CO2 equivalents.

In total, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU reached 1,041 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents in the last quarter of 2021, an increase from 1,005 million tons in the same period in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, emissions in the EU had been down just over 4% on the same period a year earlier as people worked from home more amid COVID restrictions. Other restrictions, such as international travel restrictions, contributed to unusually low greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. 

CO2 equivalents is a way to compare different greenhouse gases like methane. It converts their warming potential per metric ton to that of carbon dioxide.

Struggling to meet climate targets

Current climate change is being driven by greenhouse gases. Scientists from The International Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC)To limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, experts have warned that humanity must drastically reduce its emissions by 2030.

The 1.5 degree threshold is the temperature at which it might be possible to avoid the worst effects from climate change.

The EU has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 against its 1990 levels, and carbon neutrality  that is, no net carbon emissions  by 2050.

UN meteorologists said that There is a 50-50 chanceachieving the critical 1.5 degree temperature increase within the next five year.

er/msh (dpa, KNA)

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